上海安全生产监督局

Chapter 22

Accompanying the sound of the rain, Shen Nian\'s voice suddenly appeared in his ears, and the scenes from back then played in his mind like a movie.

During high school, Shen Nian was very innocent. Although she could only wear school uniforms at school, whenever they went out on dates on weekends, she would wear simple white dresses with her hair tied in high ponytails, looking full of youth.

Her looks were not of the stunning kind, her features were more on the soft side. Especially when she smiled, she gave off the feeling of first love like a breath of spring air.

She held his arm, smiling with eyes narrowed to slits, and asked him.

Lu Lingchuan, will you really give me a home in the future?

What did he say back then?

He said——

【I will, I\'ll give you two homes.】

He would bring her into his family, and after getting married they would have their own little home.

Upon hearing this answer, Shen Nian was very happy at the time.

【Then in the future when I want water I want you to pour it for me, when I want desserts I want you to buy them for me, when there is thunder and lightning I want you to accompany me, okay?】

She had been afraid of thunder since she was little. Her mom used to accompany her, but now that her mom was gone, she wanted Lu Lingchuan to accompany her.

【Okay.】 He agreed without any hesitation.

“Boom!”

Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder, and Lu Lingchuan was abruptly jolted back to alertness. He swiftly turned around and strode with large steps back towards the apartment building.

He rushed back at top speed, planning to immediately rush into the bedroom after opening the door to pull her into his embrace without delay.

But upon touching the door handle, the sound of weeping came from inside, and Lu Lingchuan froze abruptly.

Shen Nian leaned against the bed, her hands tightly circling her own legs as she buried her head and cried.

It was still thundering outside, the lightning illuminating her body. In the huge bedroom she was all alone, freely venting the grievances pent up in her heart.

She sobbed so hard she choked on it, the weeping contained such repression, the sounds were very small, yet they accurately struck Lu Lingchuan\'s heart.

“Wu... ah wu--”

Suddenly Lu Lingchuan lost all strength, unable to grasp the door handle no matter how he tried.

His proud head drooped down slowly, his brow furrowed tightly.

He turned around, back of his head leaning against the bedroom door, long legs bending as he gracelessly sank down to sit on the floor, one leg drawn up, one hand shoved into his short hair at his forehead.

Silent.

Summer rain comes and goes quickly, and within an hour it slowly petered out.

Only when there was no more sound from the bedroom did Lu Lingchuan push the door open. There was only a small lamp on in the bedroom, Shen Nian leaning against the bedside, knees drawn to her chest, having fallen asleep just like that.

His steps faltered for a moment. He didn\'t go over to look at her, instead turned his head towards the bathroom.

After around three minutes Lu Lingchuan came back out, a soaked towel in his hand.

His steps were light as he walked towards Shen Nian. Looking at Shen Nian hugging her legs while sleeping after having cried herself to exhaustion, he bent down, one knee on the ground.

With the towel he carefully wiped her tear covered face, then gently wiped her hands as well.

Shen Nian had cried herself to sleep, so she slumbered deeply, unaware at all of Lu Lingchuan helping wipe her face and hands.

After finishing, Lu Lingchuan returned to the bathroom to wash the towel clean before placing it back in its original spot, then came back out once more.

He\'d intended to carry her back onto the bed, but just as he touched her he stopped his hand.

As if thinking of something, his head turned towards the bed to reach for the thin blanket, then again seemed to think better and retracted his hand.

Finally he looked towards the window, got up to tightly close the windows, then as stealthy as before left the bedroom.

He gently closed the bedroom door, originally about to immediately depart, when his steps suddenly halted as he turned to look in a certain direction before striding over.

“Little Shen Nian” and “Little Ling Rui” were placed together. Lu Lingchuan reached out to caress “Little Ling Rui\'s” face again, said nothing, before taking “Little Shen Nian” next to her with him as he left.

Silently appearing, silently leaving.

Shen Nian had no idea Lu Lingchuan had returned, and would live her whole life without knowing Lu Lingchuan had ever brought a “Little Shen Nian” back for her.

Sometimes, a missed encounter is also a form of no fate.

................................................

After that day, besides at work Lu Lingchuan and Shen Nian never saw each other again.

At the company, he was still the aloof President Lu, while she was still the workaholic manager in her colleagues’ eyes. The only topic between them was work - apart from that there was not one shred of personal feelings.

Lu Lingchuan still went out to talk projects, and Shen Nian would follow along to socialize with all the bosses at the negotiation table, utilizing her high emotional quotient to recommend Ling Rui Group’s brands while liquor glass after glass of high alcohol concentration got consumed. Drink until throwing up, then drink again after throwing up.

Some questions have no answers, even if you seek your whole life you won\'t be able to find them. Stubborn persistence will only waste time.

The relationship between them had always been very complicated – direct superior and subordinate, boss and mistress, mortal enemies...

For a time, there seems to be no suitable word that can accurately describe them.

He cannot forgive her for abandoning Lu Lingrui back then, so he will never let her off.

Yet she is also atoning, hoping to alleviate her own guilty conscience.

The Lu family had been so good to her in those years, just as Lu Lingrui had been so good to her. Even now when relations between her and the Lu family had chilled to rock bottom, she still cannot refute that it was Lu Lingchuan and Lu Lingrui who pulled her up from the abyss of pain and suffering after losing her parents back then.

They gave her warmth and love.

It is said that to owe another money may be unreasonable, but to owe another\'s affection is the most reasonable. She owes the Lu family and must repay it.

...........................

It was the weekend and Shen Nian was off.

She had gotten up early, showering before casually applying some makeup and styling her hair in soft waves. She also changed into a goose yellow dress.

She was dressed up very meticulously, because today she would be attending the 100th founding anniversary celebration at A University, her alma mater.

A University was also Lu Lingchuan\'s alma mater.

It was likewise the university Lu Lingrui had dreamed of attending.

Taking a taxi to arrive at A University, it had been close to two years since she was last back. A University had changed tremendously.

She called Zhou Teacher, who had been in charge of guiding her studies in the past. Zhou Teacher quickly rushed over to the school gates to fetch her, very happy upon seeing Shen Nian.

“Little Nian, I really didn\'t expect you would come.”

She had heard Shen Nian was always busy with work.

Shen Nian\'s lips curled up. “It\'s the hundred year school celebration. As A University\'s child I should return on such an occasion.”

The teacher laughed even more happily as she led Shen Nian inside.

"In these past two years our school has changed a lot, especially the added greenery. Look..."

"Mm, quite big changes indeed."

Since it was the hundred year celebration today the school put up special decorations, with balloons and horizontal banners lining both sides of the pathways, the entire campus filled with a festive aura.

Shen Nian had only just passed her 23rd birthday not long ago, yet she had already graduated many years. Students who entered university the same year as her were only graduating now – this was the disparity.

The teacher asked how her job was going. Shen Nian patiently answered her queries.

Zhou Teacher first brought Shen Nian to the school’s Hall of Fame. Lining the hallway were picture frames spaced at intervals.

Shen Nian knew of A University’s Hall of Fame. Only the school’s outstanding graduates could be displayed here.

The faces in the earlier frames were strangers to Shen Nian, graduates from many years ago.

When looking at one particular frame, her gaze halted.